Sedgwick came to town with a 14-game winning streak and challenged the Celtics all over the court Tuesday in a tense defensive struggle played in front of a standing-room only crowd.

In the end, Trinity's long-range shooting and suffocating defense proved to be the difference as the top-ranked team in Class 3A won a 52-40 decision over the fifth-ranked Cardinals.

The Celtics, 15-0 overall and 7-0 in the Heart of America League, knocked down 8 of 10 3-pointers in a sauna-like atmosphere that had players, coaches and fans drained, and some drenched, afterward.

"Two good teams going at it; every possession was important," said Trinity coach Joe Hammersmith. "It was good for both squads. We were fortunate to come out on the winning side against a very good team."

Sedgwick, which dropped to 14-2 and 6-1, played its second game without 6-foot-4 senior Dustin Rowe, who was lost for the season last week with a knee injury.

Despite the loss of Rowe, the Cardinals gave Trinity a stern test for 32 minutes, forcing the Celtics into 20 turnovers and closing within nine points midway through the fourth quarter.

"It was a heck of a ball game, but we gave away too many opportunities early," Sedgwick coach Darren Crumrine said. "But (Trinity) is as good as we thought. I'll take that effort every night from our guys."

The first half, which saw Trinity leading 23-16, was a strange one. Trinity had 12 turnovers to just one for Sedgwick, but stayed on top by hitting 60 percent (9 of 15) from the field.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, couldn't buy a basket against Trinity's tall timber. They were just 2 of 16 from the field in the second quarter and 6-5 junior Bryce Douvier missed all seven shots he attempted.

Douvier was much more successful in the second half as he scored 14 of his game-high 16 points. The smooth junior also finished with eight rebounds.

Derek Racette buried three treys in the second half, Michael Mesh and Conor Reilly each had a pair of 3-pointers and even the big guy himself - 6-9 senior Ryan Mesh - dropped in a 3-pointer from the top of the key in the third quarter.

"We wanted to get the guys inside touches and when they got doubled, look for the open player," Hammersmith said. "The guards got good looks and knocked them down."

The Celtics finished the game hitting 54 percent of their shots and 8 of 10 free throws. Andrew Labenz led the way with 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field. Racette added 11 points and Reilly had 10.

The Mesh brothers each finished with nine points and Ryan helped the Celtics to a 36-20 advantage on the backboards with eight rebounds.

After turning the ball over 12 times in the first half, the Celtics did a much better job in the third quarter, with just two turnovers, as they opened up a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

"We addressed that at halftime," Hammersmith said. "In a game like that, turnovers are magnified. Those kids over there (at Sedgwick) are so skilled that you're going to have some of that. They have a bunch of good kids over there."

The Celtics will be back in action Friday night at Ell-Saline, looking to stay unbeaten and in first place in the HOA standings. Sedgwick and Trinity could see each other again - next month in the Class 3A sub-state tournament at Marion.

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